


Showdown on the Mountain

by karrenia_rune



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Gen, Mountains, Secret Messages, Yuletide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-17
Updated: 2015-11-17
Packaged: 2018-05-02 04:14:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5233712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karrenia_rune/pseuds/karrenia_rune
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zane receives a cryptic crystal message device from a stranger who claims to know details of his past that even Zane is not aware of; secrets that will impact his future and perhaps the future of his teammates.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Showdown on the Mountain

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kass](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kass/gifts).



Disclaimer: Lego Ninjago and the characters who appear here or are mentioned belong to their  
respective creators etc. They are not mine and are only 'borrowed' for the purposes of the story.  
Written for Kass' request in the Rare Fandoms Exchange Yuletide 2015.

"Showdown on the Mountain"

 

Zane sat in a lotus position on the hard wooden floor of the dojo his breathing even and his eyes closed; all of his forcus and energy focused inward to a calm center. A calm center that would help him keep his churning emotions and thoughts into some kind of order. 

Under ordinary circumstances, this would not have presented such a challenge to him. The thing that had caused his recent meditation sessions to be much more difficult of late, was his recent discovery that he was a nindroid. 

Zane was still coming to terms with that discovery and what it meant to him. He could still touch, sensed, touched, felt, taste and see; use all of his five senses not to mention his sixth sense as ninja, as well or perhaps better than he ever had before the startling discovery. 

His memories of his life up until the time he'd been brought into the fold by Sensei Wu, were real, and those memories, these experiences were something that no matter what happened; were real, and no one and nothing could take that away from him.

Interlude

Zane had just emerged from the dojo after a particularly invigorating meditation session when he nearly collided with Nya, who was passing by in the hallway heading towards the kitchen and common area. The incidental contact caused her to stumble and almost drop the brown-paper package which she cradled in her arms.

"Sorry," Zane mumbled.

"Don't be," Nya replied. "It happens, so no harm and no foul?"

"Huh? Zane replied, louder, focusing in on Nya this time. 

"It's a sports metaphor, basketball specifically; you do remember what basketball is, don't you? It's that sport that my knuckle-head of a brother and Jay like to play every so often when they're not practicing their ninjitzu."

"Oh. Yes," Zane replied. "I recall that well, now that you mention it. If I recall correctly the sports consists of the participants trying outdo each other in placing a large orange sphere inside a basket."

"Yeah, but that's why I was trying to find you," she replied. "This came for you."

"A package?"

"Yeah, and I thought I would bring it over to you," she paused and readjusted her hold on the package so that she could use one free hand to brush through the wavy strands of raven-black hair. She held it out to him and Zane took it.

"Look I'm certainly not one for telling other people how to live their lives, but.." she trailed off.

"Don't look at me that way!" Nya exclaimed. "We're siblings, and I'm older, so I get to tell my brother what to do. Okay, okay, in all seriousness, there's no return address and no indication of who might have sent it."

"So, what do you think it might signify. For all you know it might have been sent by a secret admirer. People have heard of us by now."

"A secret admirer? Really? Nya said. ""While it's possible, I'm getting an entirely different vibe here. So, Zane, just be careful, okay?"

"Why, Nya, I did not know you cared," remarked Zane.

Nya aimed a punch that hovered just above his left eye and than socked him in the shoulder. "Yeah, and if you tell the others I really will hit you. So there , She marched off down the long wood-pannelled corridor her black hair swinging in the wake of her passage.

Zane looked after her for a while before a bend in the corridor took her out of his immediate sight, his lips quirked in a mix of emotions, then he turned around and took the package back to his own room where he could open it in privacy.  
** Zane did not know why he thought it might have been a secret admirer, probably due to having spent too much time in Jay's company, He scanned the top, sides of the box, and Nya's had been correct at least in one thing, there was no return address. In the back of his mind he thought,' Oh, Well, here goes nothing.'

He opened the box and dumped out the packing material, and pulled out an object that had been carefully wrapped in a silver and black luminescent paper. Zane hefted the object in his hands, wondering what it might be. It was of good weight, and size, and he at first thought it might be a paper-weight. Guessing would not get him anywhere so he tore the wrapping and pulled out an chunk of carved quartz mounted on an obsidian base. 

The stone's facets caught the light of the afternoon sunshine streaming in through the high narrow windows.

Zane was not sure what to make of it. He set on a end-table and regarded the crystal, wondering why someone would send it to him. Just when he decided to give it up and move on to other matters; the light swirling around in inside of the crystal took on a more concentrated and distinct form and before he knew it, Zane saw a figure emerge from within the swirling lights.

"Zane," the figure began. "At last we meet. I know this might come as a shock to you, but you and I have a great deal more in common than you might ever believe was possible."  
"That will be the day," Zane retorted."

"Indeed," the figure replied, seemingly ignoring the sarcasm. "You see, It's been a long time, and I had no other recourse but to resort to this means of contacting you."

"What the hell do you want?"

"Oh, a great deal," the stranger answered, his thin lips and pale hair wafting around his face as in the middle of windstorm. "For now all I want is for us to meet face to face."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because, dear boy, I have vital clues to your past that will forever impact your future. You do want to know about you past, don't you?" 

Zane was torn. His instincts were screaming at him to outright reject everything this mysterious stranger had told him,; yet another part, the part that was still dealing with the revelation that had not been born a true ninja; said that what if he could discover more about his past. "Oh, there is just one teeny tiny condition," the stranger added, seemingly not noticing the Zane's internal struggle.

"You must tell no one about this, and you must come alone. The location of where I will meet you are inside the secret compartment in the base of the crystal. I urge you to come, Zane. Really, I do."

"And if I don't?" Zane asked.

"Then you'll never learn what I have to tell you. Either way, it's up to you." The image in the crystal vanished and the crystal went dark.

Zane felt compelled to tell his team despite the implicit warning in the stranger's message,  
*** Interlude "Sensei, do you have a minute?" asked Zane.

"Of course," Wu replied, "Please come in."

Zane began to sit on the reed mat and succeeded in staying still long enough to flex his hands into fists and then let them drop into his lap before he stood up and began to stare fixedly at a spot on the wall.

Wu asked," Is something troubling you, my son?"

"Yes. No."

"Which is it?"

"I do not know quite how to say this, but if I don't tell someone I think I'm going to burst! So I'll just say it. This afternoon I received a mysterious package. Inside was a message crystal."

"A message crystal, you say. There hasn't been one of those in Ninjago for over a hundred years, at least, not a functioning one."

"You've seen them before?" Zane asked. "Yes, and more often than not, they are nothing more than a medium of communication. What was the message?"

"Someone who insisted that he knows all about me and where I came from, told me to meet him at midnight tomorrow night because he will tell me all about my past and my future."

"Hmm, you are wise to doubt the validity and sincerity of this claim, Zane."

"Then you advise that I shouldn't go?" Zane asked. "Oh, he also said that I must go alone and tell no one about this."

"No, I advise that you discover the truth of the matter yourself, but this is too important to keep from the others. If they haven't found out about it already."

"The only other person who knows that I received a package is Nya."

"Zane, trust yourself, trust in your brothers, your fellow ninja. I cannot say whether or not this stranger is telling you the truth or not, or what his motivations for doing this might be. You most defintely are not going alone."

"Yes, Sir," Zane replied, and thank you."

"No, thank you, son."  
****** Encounter

His team insisted on coming with him in order to keep him out of danger if it turned out to be a trap.

The location for the pre-arranged meeting site turned out to be a mesa in the desert regions, in southern Ninjago, just outside the city limits. As Cole pointed out, at least they needn't worry about collatrel damage if turned out to be a trap and things went south in a hurry.

Zane was hardly reassured by that.

"Be careful," remember the last time we dealt with Morr0 and his army of ghosts. You'll never run into just one at a time!" Jay exclaimed. "We'll remember that!" Cole replied.

They touched down on a mesa just to the east of the mountain designated on the scrap of parchment that Zane had shown them earlier. It would hardly down to crowd themselves if that did not need to.  
Their landing went undetected except by a pack of coyotes who snarled at the intrusion and then padded away. 

It was hot in and the wind was blowing which caused the sand to swirl all around them, and each of them thanked their lucky stars that their ninja kis' included masks to protect their faces.

The mountain stood higher than any of the others in the surrounding area and was dotted here and there with rock formations scoured by the wind into various configurations and small forlorn-looking cacti stands. Jay looked around and folded his arms over his chest. "Look, what gives?"

Kai gulped and than pointed to the east where the moonlight was the faintest, and a silver-black spectral glow began to rise up from cracks in the mountain's stony skin. 

Slowly, and exorably, even above the pitch of the hot winds of the desert another sound arose. It was eerie, and high-pitched and Cole recognized it almost immediately. "Look lively, bros, we're in for company."

"Who?" Skeletons, Lizards?" Jay asked.

"No, its the Ghost Warriors," Cole replied, and judging by the really bad bass rhythm I'd wager it Spyder.

Jay, as the leader, "Okay, from what we've learned about Spyder's powers and fighting style, he like to use that song of his to disorient his opponents, so everyone spread and take a point on the compass." "We're on it!" exclaimed Kai, whose fire Powers could complement Cole's earth-based powers.

Zane and Jay will take north and south, Cole and Kai, east and west. Go! And be ready for anything!"

Spyder launched his attack confidently expecting that his opponents would not be expecting it, when it slowly occurred to him that his opening sally had been anticipated, he began to attack in a frenzy.

Cole and Kai orchestrated their counter-attack as planned, but then were driven back as Spyder was joined by the ghost warrior Attila, who preferred to move around the battlefield like liquid which made landing blows on him much more problematic. And from what Zane was observing, even Attila's fellow ghost warriors appeared to be almost envious of the other's fighting style. 

The battle wore on and Zane had been forced away from Jay, he tried to keep Attila off-balance, usin moves and techniques in various configurations.

He felt the solid ground beneath his feet rumble, and he could tell, even without turning his head and taking his concentration off of his immediate opponent; that it was Cole using his powers against Sypder and with the addition of the serious Ming,; all of his friends were occupied.

Attila arced his blade towards Zane's mid-section, and Zane counter-attacked forcing the blade to bounce off his armor. 

Jay yelled something over the sound of metal hitting against metal, and the ghostly wail of the ghosts as they glided over the now-uneven ground. 

Zane couldn't hear what it was, because he realized that he was running out of fighting room. Attila's face, what could be seen off it underneath the cowl and face-mask was a study in concentration, and his lips curled in a knowing smirk. Just then Zane lost his balance and tumbled off the side of the mountain; he tried to summon his powers, or barring that, find something to grab onto; or call for his friends help. 

But, to no avail, he fell, and fell, his clothes tearing and his scrapped raw, when he thought he would fall forever, an invisible force grabbed hold of him and gentled his fall, until he was on the floor of the desert.

Zane did not have time to wonder at his unlikely escape from a painful death, because another figure cowled figure approached him. Zane heaved a deep breath and held out his own weapon. "Show yourself!

The cowled figure reached up pale-skinned hands and pulled down his hood. "Zane. I'm glad that you could make it."

"You!" Zane exclaimed. You were the one who sent the message crystal."

"Yes, I am."

"Why? Are you with the Morro and his Ghost Army?" Zane asked.

"No. Yes, It's complicated." My name is Shriek. Or that's Morro calls me. He seems to enjoy allowing his warrior's only so much freedom before yanking on the leash once more."

"Yeah, well, We're not here to talk about Morro, are we?" Zane demanded. "What's really going on?"

,

"True, very true," the older ghost who had identified himself as Shriek replied. "But Morro has a lot to due with why I'm here and why I had to use a centuries old communication device in order to reach you."

"Is this a history lesson?"

"In a way," Shriek sighed. "The fight up to with your friends won't last that much longer and we don't have much time."

"I wanted to tell you, really I did, but there was never the right, never the right opportunity, and I already fell that I've waited too long as it is." Shriek heaved another sigh and took a few steps toward Zane, with his arms out-stretched.

"Zane, I am your father." Shriek waited after that last bit was out, for something, any kind of reaction from Zane.

>P>Zane stood with his hands on his thighs, breathing heavily, and only partly from the exertion of the fight. "I don't believe you."

Zane had thought he'd been prepared for just about any eventuality. But somehow, he was not prepared for this. It was not as if he cared about having a father figure in his life; after all he had long ago come to terms with Sensei Wu taking on that role in his life, and his team, as his brothers. 

No it was the fact that this person, condemmed to the Ghost Zone, might be his father, in the sense that he had created him, built him, and that his creator's intentions posed nothing harm and danger to those he cared for and had sworn to protect.

If their enemy was telling the truth, what did it make him? Were they anything alike? Could he afford to take that chance?"

Zane moved forward to stare the man down and heaving a deep breath. "No, even if it were true, I don't care if you were my creator. I'm different now. I have a family, a mission, and nothing you do will change that."

"That's your decision, Zane, but you're making a terrible mistake. You might not think so now, but you will see."

And then like a swimmer caught out in the middle of a ocean, the pull of the other-worldy dimension pulled all of the spectral warriors back into the Ghost Zone, including Shriek, whoever or whatever he really was. Zane was not as certain as he had been a moment earlier. 

He saw Jay's masked face peer over the side of the mountain and heard him yell. "Hey, you okay down there?"

"Yes, I will be fine," Zane replied.

"It's over," Jay said.

"I, I'm not sure," Zane replied.

"Then let's go home," Kai said.  
***  
Conclusion  
"I hardly think that was really your father. He was trying to escape the Ghost Zone after all," Jay pointed out. 

"And we all know that those trapped in there can for a brief time take over the bodies of living people," Nya added.

"Yeah, right?" Jay scoffed. "As if that isn't the lamest snappy bad-guy line in the history of ever!"

Nya's brother, Kai, nodded emphatically, "Yeah, ditto, bro." And besides you were like really cool, and macho, and you stood up to that dirt-bag, and like whoa!"

Zane offered his ninja brother a tight-lipped smile, "You really mean that?"

"Of course I do, bro!" Kai replied, grinning and giving Zane a comradely smack on the shoulder.

"Right, what he said," Cole added and Jay chimed in; not to be outdone. 

"Hey, we started this together, and we'll end it together," Kai said. 

"Then it's agreed," Zane replied, stretching out his arm with his palm upwards, and then were quick to do to the same, Nya also joining in. 

"Then I think we should have a celebration!" Cole said."  
"I couldn't agree more," Nya seconded.

**Author's Note:**

> the title comes from the Darius Rucker song Showdown on the Mountain and some 'feels ' from the Jill Scott song "Unbreakable." Oh, in some ways I had to write this for you as well as a dedication to two adorable nephews who are huge Lego Ninjago fanatics: of both the toys the books and the cartoon. They love all the characters, although the younger boy's favorite character is Lloyd. He does not make an appearance in this story.


End file.
